Hypericum plant named ‘Kolmarest’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Kolmarest’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; short internodes; small dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits; red-colored fruits; and resistance to  Puccinia  rust.

Botanical designation: Hypericum×inodorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KOLMAREST’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant, botanically known as Hypericum×inodorum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kolmarest’.

The new Hypericum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Heelsum, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Hypericum cultivars with strong foliage and numerous attractive fruits.

The new Hypericum plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2000 in Heelsum, The Netherlands of Hypericum×inodorum ‘Pinky Flair’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number H-27, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heelsum, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum plant by vegetative cuttings in Boskoop, The Netherlands since 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hypericum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kolmarest’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kolmarest’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Short internodes.     -   4. Small dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density         of fruits.     -   6. Red-colored fruits.     -   7. Resistant to Puccinia rust.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Pinky Flair’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have smaller leaves than plants         of ‘Pinky Flair’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum have smaller fruits than plants         of ‘Pinky Flair’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and ‘Pinky Flair’ differ in fruit         color as plants of ‘Pinky Flair’ have orange red-colored fruits.     -   4. Plants of the new Hypericum are resistant to Puccinia rust         whereas plants of ‘Pinky Flair’ are susceptible to Puccinia         rust.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have shorter lateral branches         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and the male parent selection         differ in fruit color as plants of the male parent selection         have salmon-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericum ‘Kolmred’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,554. In side-by-side comparisons, conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hypericum differed primarily from plants of ‘Kolmred’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum had shorter lateral branches than         plants of ‘Kolmred’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Kolmred’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller fruits than plants of         ‘Kolmred’.     -   4. Plants of the new Hypericum were more resistant to Puccinia         rust than plants of ‘Pinky Flair’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kolmarest’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and developing fruits of ‘Kolmarese’; the photograph at the center of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical fruits of ‘Kolmarest’; the photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Kolmarest’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown for two years under conditions which closely approximate commercial Hypericum production conditions in containers in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to averaged 14° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hypericum×inodorum ‘Kolmarest’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hypericum×inodorum ‘Pinky Flair’,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number H-27, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 18° C. to 30°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five weeks at             18° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness; fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; moderately             dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form/growth habit.—Perennial shrub. Compact, upright and             outwardly spreading plant habit, narrow inverted triangle;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely basally branching habit with about             17 lateral branches; pinching enhances lateral branch             development.         -   Plant height.—About 36.4 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 43.3 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 23.9 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 145A to 145B tinged with close to 173A; older stems,             close to N199C to N199D. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse to retuse.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker than 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 137A and 139A;             venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Bright yellow-colored single             flowers arranged in terminal compound umbels; freely             flowering habit with about nine flowers per umbel. Flowers             face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—From July to September in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two or three days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fruit longevity.—About one month.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Broadly ovate to globular. Color: Close to 12A,             towards the apex, close to 17A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About             7.6 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 3.1 cm. Depth (height): About 1.6             cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate.             Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Aspect:             Concave. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 13A to 13B color becoming closer to 20A             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 12A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovate to             broadly ovate. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,             smooth. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 143B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 143A. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About             1.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 177A.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 2.1 cm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 177A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Filament length: About 1.25 mm. Filament color:             Close to 12A. Anther shape: Broadly oval. Anther length:             About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 15A to 15B. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 17A to 17B.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: Single pistil with three             stigmas. Pistil length: About 3.5 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 34B. Style length: About             3 mm. Style color: Close to 151C. Ovary color: Close to             151C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape:             Roughly spherical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 46C; towards the base, close to 49D.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color:             Between 199A and N199A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been noted     to be resistant to Puccinia rust. Plants of the new Hypericum have     not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Hypericum. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been     observed to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about     −20° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Kolmarest’ as illustrated and described. 